


A World Unkwown

by NoLifeQueen



Category: Hellsing
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hellsing Organization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-19 08:55:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3604116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoLifeQueen/pseuds/NoLifeQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alright, so this fanfiction is a little different. I decided to make it more like a teen fiction novel and just have Alucard in it and have Hellsing be a school. I don't know how long it's going to be, but I do know there will be a lot of chapters. Please let me know if you like it in the comments and feel free to make suggestions, so I can get better! I hope you like it! I'm gong to make Rhine a complete badass! ^_^</p>
<p>Rhine Ellery is more than unenthused when she has to move to a London boarding school named Hellsing Academy. What she doesn't know is that she attends a school full of vampires, and is a hybrid, the only one in the world. Now, rogue vampires want her for her blood, and she must train alongside the arrogant headmaster, Alucard, and it might just save her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The fall leaves crunched under my red Vans as I walked to 1st period. For some odd reason, this school started at night. God, I hated school. I hated school because of all the stress and all the testosterone and whatnot. And it didn’t help that I had to move to a London boarding school all the way from America, I was pretty much forced to come here for no reason at all. Maybe this school would be different from my old one. Plus, I had my sister Carmen here, who fell into step next to me. Today she was wearing a purple tank top layered underneath an off-the-shoulder long sleeved top, a black mini-skirt, and floral Doc Martens. Her lavender hair was pulled up into a loose top bun. It was a nice first day of school outfit.  
“Do we have any classes together this year?” she asked. I fished around in my backpack for my schedule (I wasn’t the most organized person). Once I had my schedule out, Carmen and I compared ours. Turns out we only had 3rd and 5th period together. “At least we’re rooming together, right?” I sniffed. Carmen tugged at her cool mint blue suitcase and chirped, “Yup! I’m so glad I talked you into coming here, have you seen the dorms?” Carmen and I have been best friends and sisters since we were both 4 years old, now we were 16 and going into our junior year together. “Come on, Rhine, you really have to try and make friends this year!” she explained, “I can’t be the only one you talk to.” “It’s not the fact that I can’t make friends, it’s because everyone just simply annoys the hell outta me” I moaned. Carmen used to be a varsity cheerleader, so of course was good at making tons of friends. We both went our separate ways as I went to English and she went to Spanish (uh, ew, I hate spanish). “See you at dinner?” called Carmen. And I walked into my first day of hell.  
The classroom was filled with kids that were seriously pretty. Most girls had long, thick hair and the boys had that fluffy kind of hair that does that little flippy thing. A lot of girls were flirting with the guys and twirling their hair and whatnot. Ugh. Whatever. I took my seat at the back of the room as the bell rang and the teacher breezed in. Her hair was in a long, brown braid that reached her waist. She had pouty lips and emerald eyes and her skin was olive toned. “My name is Professor Monica, and this is my English class. When you are in my class, you will pay attention. If not, then you may leave now.” I knew she was talking directly to me, because I was the only new kid. She was gorgeous and had a certain power to her presence and voice when she spoke. Jeesh, was everyone here stunningly beautiful? I took down notes in my notebook and listened as she lectured about Shakespeare. I’d never had trouble with my classes, I was a pretty smart kid.  
Suddenly, the most beautiful being on this Earth stalked into the classroom. He was super tall, with shoulder length black hair. His eyes were golden and-oh my god. He. Was. Looking. Right. At. Me. Suddenly, every student stood up, and, oddly enough, they looked nervous, some of them even afraid. He started to walk very slowly towards me. The kids promptly stepped out of his way, and they nodded slight greetings toward him. He stopped when he was standing in front of me. His canines were oddly long, and sharp. It sent shivers down my spine. “Welcome,” he said in a smooth as silk voice. “students, this is Rhine Ellery, she is a new student this year and I expect every single one of you to make her feel at home.” He said, stone-faced. “Yes, headmaster Alucard...” everyone mumbled. “Excellent, have a nice night. Rhine, please come see me at my office after class.” The headmaster said as he glided out of the classroom. The door closed with a definite thud, and everyone turned to look at me. Their faces ranged from pity, to flat out jealousy. The class dispelled into low mumbles and whispers. A girl sitting next to me tapped me on the shoulder. “Uh, you better hope whatever headmaster wants you for, that you didn’t do something horrible.” Okay, this girl was pretty, she had long, blondish white hair that was pulled into a side french braid. “I’m sure it’s nothing, I’m a new student, he probably just wants to talk about my classes and such.” She shook her head and gave me a worried look, “Alucard never welcomes new students, this is weird...” “I’m Genevieve, by the way.” she told me.  
After class let out, I had a lot of trouble finding my way to the headmaster’s office. How big is this school?! There were three huge separate buildings. One for the student’s headquarters and dorms, one for classes and such, and finally a building for the professor’s dorms. The buildings were old and victorian looking, actually, the school looked more like a castle, with it’s big iron gates. I met up with Carmen, who showed me where to go. I told her about Alucard and she gave me a funny look. “Headmaster Alucard? Eesh, he gives me the creeps, but he’s totally hot.” “Carmen!” I slapped her shoulder, and we both laughed. “See you third period, Rhi!” she headed off. I came to Alucard’s office. The lady at the front desk widened her eyes and said, “Rhine Ellery! Follow me, follow me, please!” she smiled warmly at me and told me that “We’ve been waiting on you for quite some time, now!” My face was a question mark. “Alucard will explain.” she said. The lady led me to Alucard’s door and told me to go on in. I braced myself and slowly stepped in. He was sitting in an enormous chair and reading a book. “Rhine, please sit down,” he said without looking up. “H-hi,” I stumbled over my words. Great. I’m an idiot. “You wanted to see me?” “Right.” He said. “Assuming you are a new student, I presume you do not have a mentor yet?” he asked. “No, sir”, I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. A mentor? I’m a junior and I’m pretty sure I know how high school works. Smiling, and as if he read my thoughts, he said “This is unlike no other high school. You will be starting fresh, as this school will be your new life and home.” I blinked and swept my hand through my hair. Unlike any other high school? What was going on? “Mr. Alucard, I-” “Please, you may just call me Alucard, no need for the title.” he looked up at me. I shuffled my feet awkwardly, “I understand that since you are just attending this school, you are slightly overwhelmed, don't worry, it is normal for you to feel this way, however, you will learn soon enough the ways of Hellsing Academy.” He concluded. “I will be your mentor, so you may see me anytime with any questions you have. I will always be available here, in my office.” he stood, and so did I. God, he was tall, at least 6’3. “Wow, thank you, Alucard.” I went to shake his hand, but instead he bowed formally. Wow, how classy. “I hope you adjust well to our schedule, and see you tomorrow.” I nodded awkwardly, shuffled out of his office and shut the door behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

I made it through the rest of my classes, and it was finally time to get settled into my dorm. I grabbed my suitcase from the girl’s lounge room and glanced at my schedule to see that Carmen and I were in Room 13. Huh, lucky number.  I stepped in, and, oh my god, it was beautiful. On each side of the enormous room there were queen sized beds, clad in black down comforters. The walls were painted purple and there were book shelves (which were black) carved into the east side of the room. Carmen had already set up all her things and must have heard me come in, because she scrambled up to me and gave me this huge hug. “I’m so excited that we’re roommates! I was afraid they would put me with some annoying chick.” she chattered excitedly. “Come on and check out the bathroom, it’s awesome!” The bathroom was cool and the sink was victorian style, like the rest of the school. We had a clawfoot tub, and a step in marble shower!? Wow! This place is expensive. “You might want to hurry up, dinner starts in ten minutes.” Carmen said over her shoulder as she sat on her bed. I went back to the bathroom to check myself out. I looked alright. My long, dark hair was curly and fell a couple inches past my waist. My hazel eyes were big and round and were in good contrast to my medium-toned skin. I guess my hair is as good as it’s gonna get. I came back into the room and Carmen said “Wow, Rhi. I wish I was as pretty as you!” she said as she was walking toward the door. “Oh, stop it. Not everyone can pull off pastel hair colors.” I told her. “Let’s go, I hear there’s tacos for dinner tonight!” we shut our door behind us and headed to the dining hall.

The dining hall was also very nice, with restaurant style seating booths. There was a frozen yogurt and salad bar. Instead of those terrible fluorescent lights school cafeterias usually had, there was a crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. The candles in it made the dining hall look more like a ballroom. Carmen and I grabbed plates and silverware and stood in line. “Wow, fancy, right?” said Carmen as she glanced around. I took a glass of water and Carmen and I went to find a seat. The hall was full of happy, talking kids that were eating and laughing. The girl from earlier, Genevieve, I think her name was, found me and led me to sit with her friends. “Rhine!” she drew out. “You can sit with me!” She gave me a warm smile and I sat down next to her. “This school is awesome, right?” Carmen said. “Yeah, I love the yogurt bar, but the whole night-day switch is gonna take some getting used to.” I said around a sip of water. Genevieve opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly a girl came and huffed as she sat down. “Okay, no one, _no one_ told me we were having tacos tonight!” This was yet another pretty girl, she had auburn hair that fell in glossy waves down her back. Her eyes were a pretty brown, and she had mocha skin. She did a double take, “Who’s this?” she grinned. “Oh, this is Rhine,” Genevieve gestured to me “and this is Carmen.” I had a mouth full of taco, so I said a muffled “Hi.” “My name is Victoria, but I like to be called Vicky.” she said.  There was something warm and friendly about her, and I automatically felt comfortable around her. As they chatted, I thought about Alucard and why everyone seemed to be so afraid of him. I was going to have to figure out what’s up with him. “Hey, Genevieve, what’s the deal with the headmaster?” Vicky froze mid-bite in her taco and she and Genevieve exchanged looks. “It’s nothing. He just rarely takes on new students, let alone takes any interest in them.” Vicky looked at her feet. I had a feeling there were things these two weren’t telling me. “You’ll find out soon enough the ways of Hellsing Academy...” Alucard’s cryptic words repeated in my head. I noticed Carmen hadn’t said anything for the duration of the dinner. “You’ve been quiet.” I said. “Yeah, that’s because I’m checking out that group of cute guys over there.” I rolled my eyes. “Anyway,” I said to Genevieve. “I’m tired. I think I’m gonna go back to the dorm.” It was almost 6 am. “I’m with ya, Rhi. Plus I’ve been waiting to wear those cute pj’s I bought last week!” Carmen told me as we waved goodbye to Vicky and Genevieve. Once we were back in the lounge, I grabbed a soda from the fridge and headed back to our room. “Did you notice how weird everyone acts when I talk about Alucard?” I asked Carmen. “Probably because he’s the creepiest headmaster ever.” She said from the bathroom. “Yeah, well, I’m gonna figure out what the deal is.” I said, settling into bed. Carmen flipped off the light and said, “Night, Rhine.” I thought I might have nightmares, but I actually didn’t. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning was hectic “Rhine! Turn off your god-forsaken alarm, please!” My hand blindly flailed around for the “off” button. It was 7:30 P.M, classes started at 8:30. Carmen practically rolled out of bed and onto the floor. “Ugh” she moaned. “Stop being so lazy!” I called from the bathroom. The shower was sooo nice and I was practically getting a massage. When I got out, I threw on a grey sweater, some jeans, and my signature pair of red vans. My hair was in a high ponytail. Carmen was wearing a Nirvana shirt (she loves Nirvana) with a flannel and high waisted shorts, with black creeper shoes. “Cute.” I told her. Today, she must have been going for a grunge look, because her hair was very messy. We talked about whether Courtney Cobain’s boobs were real or not as we walked to breakfast.

At breakfast, there were things like bagels, cereal, and pancakes. I seriously loved bagels-they were like healthier versions of donuts! “Ew, Rhi. I don’t understand how you could like bagels-” Carmen stopped mid-sentence and was staring at something behind me. I waved my hand in front of her face “Carmen, what are you looking at?” I decided to turn around, and it was Alucard! I dipped my head in greeting. “Hello, Alucard”. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Rhine, this morning you are to come with me, I have some things I would like to discuss with you.” Carmen waved an aloof goodbye, then he and I were alone. We walked in silence for a few minutes, I could feel him staring at me, and it made me kinda uncomfortable, because he hadn’t really seemed to express any interest in me before. According to the other students, he wasn’t very involved with everyone else. I wondered why he was even headmaster at all. I sighed in relief when we finally came to his office and I had something else to focus on. I sat down in the comfy leather chair and glanced around the room. “Miss Rhine...” His voice was like velvet. “Are you enjoying your time here at Hellsing Academy?” He poured himself a glass of what I assume is wine. “I think this place is really nice. How long has it been here?” I asked, more to myself than to Alucard. “The Hellsing Academy has been around since the victorian era. It was once an estate owned by a wealthy couple. Now, it is a school for young fledglings.” “Fledglings!?” I exclaimed. What the hell? Was everyone here crazy? “Ah, yes. I’d forgotten that you were not informed.” Alucard muttered to himself, sounding surprisingly annoyed. “Hellsing is a school for vampires, who have existed for quite some time now. Young vampires are not widely accepted in society, so we built a safe haven for them to reside and learn in.

“You, my dear Rhine, are a hybrid, of course. Your mother was an exceptional vampire. But you are here because you have the potential to aid us in our system.” What was he telling me? Vampires? Help them? I’m just a teenager! I can barely throw a frisbee! “Hey, wha-” I was cut off. “You will learn soon enough.” Again, he repeated those words. “So, everyone here are vamps, even my sister Carmen?” I sat, shocked. How could she not tell me? I thought she was my friend. I was suddenly angry. “Do not be angry at her. Your sister could not have told you. I asked her specifically not to, because I felt that you were not ready.” He said, as if he had read my mind, and I had an eerie feeling that he had. “If you would not like me to read your thoughts, please just ask.” he said solemnly. “Y-Yeah, that would be nice.”  Alucard nodded and said, “Now, I would like you to see me everyday, as you will not be taking those combat classes with the rest of the school, you will be learning from me.” He explained. “W-With you?!” I stammered. His eyes scanned my face, and I surprised myself by saying, “That’s cool.” He studied me carefully, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “Good.” He said slowly. I couldn’t get over how perfect he looked, and I stared at him in awe. I mean, I know vampires are young-looking, even when they’re old, but wow, he was the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and that’s not exactly an exaggeration. “Huh?” I said, and I realized he’d been talking this whole time. “I said, You are here because of the potential you possess, and I want to help you reach it to the fullest.” Full potential of what? What were they planning here? I didn’t really want to ask any questions, though. “If you want to leave, go ahead. Your combat training starts tomorrow.” He said from his desk. “Sleep, well, young Rhine...” I heard him say as I walked out of his office.

As soon as I stepped out, I was pulled aside by the lady at the front desk. “Hey!” I shouted. The lady put her hand over my mouth and said “Shhh!” She brought me into a closet and shut the door. “This is no good. You’re not safe...” her voice was lower than a whisper. I started to open my mouth to speak, but she just shushed me again. “Maybe you are safe, while Alucard’s here. But you must be wary, Rhine.” What in the name of god is she talking about? “There’s someone after you, someone who will do any and everything to get you. That is why you were chosen to come here. Alucard is your protector and you must listen to him to avoid being found by Them.” I blinked at her. As if my life weren’t crazy enough right now. “My protector?” I asked her. “Yes, your mother, Angeline Ellery, made a deal with him years ago. She wanted you to be protected from an evil out there that wanted something from your family. Something valuable.” I shook my head back and forth. “This is too much right now.” I said, moving out of the closet. The lady nodded, understanding. “You’ll be safe here.” she pretended to be telling me something unrelated to what we were just talking about. “Yes, Professor Monica is available for tutoring today, you may go and see her!”

When I left the office, I was so lost in thought that I did not see Vicky walking towards me, and we collided. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry! I really wasn’t looking where I was going.” I yammered. Vicky laughed, “It’s alright, girl. You look pretty shaken up, anyway. Were you just coming from the Headmaster’s office?” she gave me a worried look. “Yeah, but only because I wanted to change my schedule around a little bit” I lied. Like I was going to tell her all of what I just heard? Yeah, right. “Hey, Vicky, I’m just going to go back to my dorm for a little bit, I’m kind of tired.” She told me that she understood and that I could go to her room to ask her any questions (she was in Room 15). “Thanks” I said and left. Carmen wasn’t here yet, so I was assuming she was still in class. Alucard had told me that I could take the rest of the day to myself. So technically, I had missed two days of classes. I sat down on my bed to give myself time to think about everything, (but really I wanted to go puke my guts up).

First, I’m a hybrid? I never knew my mom was a vamp, in fact, I never knew her at all. I was abandoned when I was, like, two and had a foster family that I don’t really remember much about. Then when I was four Carmen’s family took me in. That must mean my dad was just human. How was Carmen able to keep a secret like that from me for so long? And how did she know Alucard? So many questions, and I didn’t know who the hell could answer them. I’d had enough for now, so I decided to take a nap and hopefully Carmen would wake me up when it was time for dinner.

I dreamt about vampires and dracula and, for some reason, talking tacos. Anyway, I was awaken by the sound of Carmen angrily yelling on the phone. Sigh. She was talking to her ex again. “Hunter, I told you that I cannot see you again! It’s over! Why can’t you get that through your tiny brain?” She hit the end button and threw her phone on the bed. I heard her heave a sigh of frustration. “Hunter, again?” I asked, stretching and yawning. “Who else? That boy will not get the memo that we are O-V-E-R. He’s got some issues that he needs to resolve for himself.” she rolled her eyes. “Stupid Hunter.” we said together, sounding like best friends. Now, technically, Carmen was my foster sister, not just a friend, she’s family. So I should be able to tell her anything, right? “Carmen...”  I started to ask. She heard the worried tone in my voice and hurried to sit on my bed with me. She always did this when she knew I had something important to tell her. I had her full and undivided attention, so I began explaining to her everything Alucard and the lady had told me. After I was done, I examined Carmen’s face for some sort of reaction. “They told you all of that in one day?” she sounded exasperated. “Thank you for not being mad at me. I’m sorry I had to keep that a secret from you all this time. I don’t know anything about who is after you, or why, but I promise you that from now on, I will tell you everything, no secrets, okay?” she hugged me and said “I know it’s a lot to take in. But you’re gonna like being a vamp, now we can have some real fun!” she laughed. Okay, I knew Carmen was a little bit of a badass and a rebel, but who knows what kind of things vampires consider ‘fun’. Was it sucking people’s blood? Or just classical getting stoned and going to parties? She got up and went to get her cellphone. She said “There’s a party tonight in Vicky’s dorm after dinner, wanna go?” I perked up, a party really sounded fun, but something made me hesitate. “Aren’t the adult vamps going to find out?” I questioned. “Nah, they really don’t care.” Carmen was tapping away at her phone, then she set it down. “Dinner starts in 30 minutes, do you want to go?” Dinner sounded good right about now. “Sure, I’m starving.” I said as I headed for the door. As we entered the dining hall the aroma of steak hit my nose, causing my stomach to growl. “Can this school get any fancier?” I said as I grabbed a plate. After we got our food, Carmen and I spotted Vicky and Genevieve sitting at a table. “Hey guys.”Carmen said. The girls were sitting with a curvy, but petite girl who had curly golden locks and big, big brown eyes. She was definitely mixed, but stunning. She introduced herself as Charlotte. “Oh, my gosh,” she drawled. “Is this the Rhine everyone’s been talking ‘bout?” She was very bubbly and had a southern accent. “Ahm so excited to meet you!” She sounded like she was straight out of To Kill a Mockingbird! I suppressed a giggle.  “So, are you guys goin’ to Vick’s party tonight?” “I’ll think about it, I’m not really the party type...” said Genevieve. “Ah, come on, you totally deserve it after you got an A on that huge geometry test!” She insisted. “That was pure luck, I didn’t even take notes in that class!” Genevieve explained. I can’t believe nobody noticed Carmen and a handsome guy eyeing each other from across the room. The boy had soft ginger hair, light blue eyes, and a smile that could end a war. “Go talk to him!” I nudged her. Carmen snapped her attention away from him long enough to say a firm, “Oh, hell no. He wouldn’t like me. He’s probably staring at my weird hair.” I did a mental eye roll and stood up to shove her in his direction. She glared at me and said “Whatever, but don’t expect anything exciting to happen.” she left. Now that I had gotten rid of Carmen, I grabbed the attention of the three girls. “So,” I paused, “Uh, you guys are vampires?” They had funny looks on their faces. Genevieve said, “Rhine, don’t worry, we already know everything.” What did she mean by everything? Seeing the confusion on my face, she said “Yeah, we know you’re a hybrid.” “How did you know that?” I said. “Good gossip travels fast!” Vicky said with a wink. Wow. So I’m a freak here. Wonderful. “Just to be clear, you guys can read my mind, right?” I picked at my steak. “Nah, only the adult vamps can do that.” Charlotte said in her Alabama twang. I sighed in relief. “Jeesh, Rhi. Calm down, we’re not monsters, ya know.” said Vicky, she sounded offended. “I’m sorry. This is new to me” I apologized. Genevieve nodded her head “We totally understand, we were the same way when we first got here, right? ” She looked pointedly at Vicky, who smiled sheepishly. “Well, I got to go get ready for this party.” Vicky, Charlotte, and Genevieve gathered their plates and put them in the dishwasher. “Yeah, I guess I better go get ready too.” I had this super cute outfit I had been dying to wear, so maybe this was a good opportunity. I placed my dish in the dishwasher and was about to leave when I remembered, Carmen was still with that guy. I glanced over to the east end of the dining hall to find that she was really enjoying herself. I decided to leave her be and went back to the dorm. I put on this really cute bodycon long sleeved little black dress, slipped on some black ballet flats and went to the bathroom to fix my hair. I took it out of the braid it was in, so my hair was set in cute beach waves. I heard Carmen come in and say, “Wow, you look amaaazing.” she drew the word out. “Really? I thought it might be too much, but thanks. What are you gonna wear?” I sat on my bed. “Hmm I think I’m gonna wear my Lucca Couture skirt with my black crop top. ” Carmen said. “Oh, that’ll be so cute” I squealed. “You think that boy you met will be there?” “He said he’ll try to come, but he has a huge test that he needs to study for tomorrow.” “Damn, that sucks. Maybe he’ll show?” I said as I applied eyeliner. “Hey, I gotta do something really fast, I’ll meet ya there.” I said to Carmen. I wanted to take a couple pictures (how embarrassing, right?) in the mirror before I left. “Alright, see ya there!” Carmen strutted out of the room. I giggled to myself, she was such a diva.

After about 15 minutes of applying my makeup and taking pictures, I finally made my way to Vicky’s room. I was smiling and texting on my phone so I hadn’t even noticed him. I crashed into him and my head knocked into his chest. I was so close to falling but he caught me just in time. “Oh, Alucard, god I’m so sorry!” I started to back away. He shook his head “No need to apologize, I was just taking a walk.” The moonlight shone above him, making him look even more drop dead (hehe) gorgeous. “That’s quite the getup, what might be the occasion?” His voice was cool, I expected him to sound angry. “Well I was just making my way to, uh...” I hesitated. Should I tell him? I mean, he would know anyway, right? Of course, you can’t lie to a vamp, especially if that vamp is the headmaster and your mentor. “I was just making my way to Vicky’s party.” I explained. “Ah, then have fun.” I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away. I hated being watched, but this time, I didn’t really mind.

****  
  



	3. Chapter 3

I finally got to Vicky’s room, and from outside it sounded pretty crazy in there. You could hear laughs and loud music. I recognized the song Don’t Trust Me by 3oh!3 playing. Before I could even knock, Vicky pulled me in and said “It’s about time!” “Sorry, I ran into someone...” I didn’t feel like explaining who I had run into. I mingled with a couple people and danced a little. But I wasn’t really into it. I guess I was just tired. I was chatting with Charlotte and Genevieve-who, surprisingly, actually showed up. They were talking about someone I didn’t know, so I kinda zoned out. Alucard was on my mind. When he touched me, it sent electricity through my veins, and I couldn’t tell whether that was a good thing or not! After a couple minutes, I decided it was a good thing. When someone shouted “It’s time for initiation!” followed by a couple of “Woo-hoo!”s. It snapped my attention back to the party. Initiation? Oh, god. Boarding school initiations were bad. Vicky stood on top of a chair and everyone got quiet. I was suddenly very nervous. Maybe she wouldn’t initiate me, maybe she would forget. Then, Carmen appeared next to me and then I remembered that she would have to do this, too. I felt relieved that I wouldn’t be doing this alone. “This year’s initiates,” she paused for dramatic effect and said what I hoped she wouldn’t. “Are Rhine and Carmen. All you guys have to do is strip down to your underwear, and jump into the west lake. We all had to do it, now it’s your turn.” As we filed quietly out of the dorm, to get to the lake Carmen and I exchanged looks. When we got to the lake everyone waited quietly for us to start our hazing. I heard many guy-like (and girly?!) cheers as we peeled off our clothes and shoes. “Ready?” Carmen asked. “As I’ll ever be.” I sighed and Carmen took my hand so we could jump in together. We both counted to three and leaped off of the dock.

The water was ice cold, and Carmen and I both gasped. There were light hearted laughs as the students watched us squeal in the water. “Alright, you guys can come out, now.” Said Vicky, handing us both towels. I felt my face get warm, despite the freezing cold temperature of the water. Like I wanted people seeing me in my undies! Carmen didn’t really seem to mind, though. When we got back to the party, I asked Vicky if it was okay to change in her bathroom. She said the party was pretty much over so I could just go back to my dorm if I wanted. Carmen and I waved our goodbyes as we left. On our way back, I said “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it was gonna be” I was shivering. “Yeah, I’ve had worse.” She was recalling freshman year, when we had to break into the school and plant pot in some of the teacher’s desks. We both shuddered. “Carmen, before the party, I ran into Alucard.” Her eyes got wide “No way! What did he do?” “I bumped into him, but he caught me and then he asked me about the party. “What did you say?” Carmen prodded. “I thought he would be mad or something, but he just kinda shrugged it off and said to have fun.” She shook her head. “It sucks how they know what we’re doing.” Wanting to steer the subject away from him, I said “Did you see that Ron Weasley kid at the party?” She bumped me off the sidewalk “His name is Ed.” She and I laughed. “Well, the kid looks like he should be holding a wand and a spells book.” We came to our room and when I got in, I immediately hopped in the shower and slipped on some comfy pj’s. I was tired. “Night, Carmen.” I yawned and buried myself in the comfy sheets. Carmen turned off her light and said “Rhine?” “Yeah?” I turned around. “Please, be careful. You have to remember that not everyone here is your friend, just keep that in mind.” I blinked at her in the darkness. “What do you mean?” “It’s nothing...just-be watchful.” she settled down into her bed. I wonder what that was all about? Was there something else she knew that I didn’t? I thought about it as I drifted off into sleep... When I woke up, the sun had just start to set. I was shocked, that I actually gotten up before I was supposed to. Then it hit me that I had to go to my classes today. I groaned. I glanced over to Carmen’s bed, and all I could see was the purple fluff of her hair sticking up. I decided to let her sleep. So, I went to the bathroom to scrape my hair into a ponytail and slipped on a black tank top and jeans.

Instead of going all the way to the dining hall for breakfast, I opted to just go to the lounge. I only wanted cereal, anyway. I saw Charlotte putting her dishes away and came up to her to say “Hi”. She smiled and said in her twang “Hey!” I laughed and talked about initiation last night. “Rhine, just be glad you didn’t have to go through the original hazing.” She winked and nudged me in the arm. “Hey, I gotta be to class, see ya at lunch!” I’m glad Genevieve is in my english class. She could help me catch up on what I missed, plus she was really nice. Professor Monica was the coolest teacher ever, she wasn’t a boring lecturer, actually, she had me engaged the whole class. We were in the middle of reading Catcher in the Rye, which I thought was a boring book, but Professor Monica made it interesting. I remembered what Charlotte had said about the “Original hazing” and asked Genevieve about it. “Oh, uh, heh...it was nothing. It was pretty dumb actually...we just, uh, had to, uh...” She twisted her hair nervously and trailed off. “Seriously, if it bothers you that much, you don’t have to talk about it.” I gave her a weird look. She looked extremely relieved. What was that about? Weird.

I hadn’t seen Carmen all day, and I started to get worried, but the feeling left when I saw her in 3rd period. “Ugh, I hate chemistry.” She moaned as she took the desk next to me. “At least you don’t have combat training with Alucard after class.” I said. “Ah, come on...is he that bad? It’s not like he’s going to eat you or something...or is he?” Her eyes glinted mischievously, and she laughed. “Uh, okay. That’s so not funny” I told her. “I swear he wants me as a snack.” At that moment the bell rang and class started. I saw a blur of ginger hair rush past me and I realized it was that kid Ed that Carmen liked. I winked and nudged her. She said “Stop it! He’s coming over here!” I dissolved into giggles as she went about fixing herself up. Carmen was sitting right behind him, so he could hear pretty much everything we were saying. Ed turned around, smiling. “Hey, Rhine! Nice to meet ya!” He had the coolest accent. “He must be from here.” I thought. I said a small “Hi” and snuck a look at Carmen. She was smiling and blushing like a complete idiot. I returned to my book, to give the two of them a chance to hit it off. Ed was a nice enough guy, I just hoped he would be right for Carmen. She wasn’t the easiest girl to understand. Most of her relationships had ended horribly. But, once you got to know her, she was loyal and would do anything for you. There was something different about how Carmen acted around this guy. Usually she pretended to have no interest at all. But, she was laughing, smiling and blushing. This was a side of her I had never seen before. Maybe this relationship wouldn’t end in sobs and tissues and angry texts. Maybe it wouldn’t end at all, and for that, I was happy for Carmen. I already knew the answer, but I decided to ask anyway. “What are you all smiley about?” We were on our way to the dining hall for lunch. Carmen shrugged, “I dunno, maybe because Ed asked me to watch movies with him tonight!” “That’s great!” My face spread into a huge grin. “So you really like him, huh?” “Yeah, we like a lot of the same things. Did you know he owns every Nirvana album ever?” Her eyes got huge and she bounced up and down. “He also knows every word to every song!” I listened as she babbled on and on about him. I hadn’t seen Carmen this happy for a long time. Carmen and I each took a salad, and sat down. We were discussing spanish homework when we were joined by Vicky and Charlotte. “Where’s Genevieve?” Carmen and I asked at the same time. “Oh, she doesn’t have this lunch.” said Vicky as she sat down. “So, Rhi. How’s it going with Alucard?” asked Vicky. “Oh, it’s fine, I guess. I have combat training with him today after school.” I saw something flicker in Charlotte’s eyes. Anger? And as soon as the look appeared, it was gone. Maybe I had just imagined it. Charlotte was as sweet as sugar, I couldn’t imagine her being mean like that. But then I remembered Carmen’s warning, when she told me to watch who my friends were. I got a really bad gut feeling about Charlotte and ate the rest of my lunch in silence. “Uh, guys, I gotta go. Got homework due before my next class...” I scuttled out of the hall before anyone could say anything.

Once I was out of there, I groaned and made my way to the bathroom. I had about 10 minutes until classes started again, and about an hour until I had to meet with Alucard. I took a look in the mirror. I looked pale, and like I had just seen a ghost. What was wrong with me? Carmen seemed to be enjoying herself here, so why wasn’t I? Why did I have to be a freak? Why did it have to be me that Alucard wanted, or the “They” the lady at the front desk was talking about? “Stop whining...” I heard a voice say. I whipped around, and to my surprise, it was Professor Monica. She’d been reading my mind! And, oh yeah-she was reading it now. I mentally face palmed myself and asked, “How long have you been there?” I noticed I was shaking, so I clasped my hands to help them stop. “Here, let me help you relax.” She moved to put her hands on my shoulders, and she closed her eyes. I immediately felt calmer. “Woah, that’s so cool! How did you do that?” My eyes widened. She gave me a warm smile, “Many adult vampires possess a special power that makes them unique.” I then wondered what Alucard’s special powers may be. For a second, it was quiet, then she said, “Rhine, you must be careful. Alucard is good protection for you, but the people after you are very dangerous, and they won’t stop until they get what they want.” She had a very concerned look on her face. “So, it’s true?” I asked. She nodded, very serious. “Then I guess I will have to go to those fighting classes, huh?” I asked, sounding very tired. “The more skill you have, the less of a chance they have of getting what they want.” I turned to grab my books and backpack. “Professor Monica, who exactly is ‘They’?” but when I turned around, she was already gone. My head was pounding by the end of 5th period, and through the duration of it, Carmen kept sneaking worried glances at me. “Are you sure you feel okay? I don’t think you should go see Alucard today.” she said as we were leaving class. “I’m fine, Carmen. Just back off okay?” I regretted the words as soon as I said them, Carmen looked hurt, and I opened to my mouth to apologize. “Carmen, I didn’t-” “Whatever, it’s cool.” She strode off, irritated. I sighed and banged my head on the wall not-so-softly.

I felt someone put their hand in front of my forehead. “Tough day?” I heard a familiar accent. I looked up, and it was Ed. “Yeah, and it’s gonna get worse.” I sighed. “Ah, it can’t be that bad.” he said. “Did you see what just happened? Carmen is pissed at me.” I threw my hands up in frustration. “She’s your sister, right? She’ll get over it.” He reassured me. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hey, thanks, Ed.” I smiled at him. “Any time!” He threw his bookbag over his shoulder and waved goodbye. He was a pretty nice guy, Carmen had definitely picked the right one this time. I felt a slight sliver of terror as I registered that it was time for Alucard’s lessons. “Might as well get this over with.” I mumbled to myself. The lady at the front desk, Clara, I learned was her name, greeted me and told me that Alucard wasn’t in yet, but I could go right in. On his desk, there was a note, and a set of clothes. The note read, in pretty script: “Rhine, please put on the clothes you will be wearing for your training. They are more suitable than the jeans and sweater you have on now.” It was signed with a single letter, A. I glanced down at myself. Uh, how did he know what I was even wearing? I figured he’d said it just to mess with me and shrugged. I put down the note and started to put on the outfit. Surprisingly, it fit perfect. I took a look in the antique full-sized mirror Alucard had.

I was clad in black, skin-tight leather pants, and a tank top of the same color. My shoes were these really cool combat boots. I heard someone clear their throat and turned around. Oh, god. It was Alucard. My face was hot. “H-how long have you been standing there?” My voice was thick with embarrassment. Had he seen me change!? “No, I didn’t, but you shouldn’t have been changing in the open space of my office. Are you ready to start your training?” I could feel my face get red and I pointed at him angrily, “Y-you should have known I was here! And I can change wherever I want!” Realizing how weird that sounded, I blushed again. Alucard raised his eyebrow and gave me a once-over glance. “Right, then...considering your current state, you won’t be able to start with actual combat, yet. I will instead start you with basic strength building exercises.” “My current state?” I asked, more than slightly irritated. “You are weak, you need to build muscle and endurance before you can even begin the real thing.” “What exactly will I be learning?” Alucard had appeared behind me in the mirror. He smiled, revealing his dangerous looking fangs. “You’ll be learning to shoot, throw knives, hand-to-hand, and how to rip a person’s throat out with your bare teeth.” “What!” I squeaked. “I don’t want to learn to do that!” I searched his face frantically “I was merely making a joke. Have a sense of humor.” I stood there, stammering. “Are you going to stand there like an idiot, or are you going to follow me?” Alucard was standing by his open door. I felt myself blush once more, and stomped past him. Didn’t he have any manners? Jeez. Jerk. I was thinking about how I’d like to choke Alucard with his own stupid tie when he said we were going to the school training center, and it was about a five minute walk. There was a full moon tonight, and it was really pretty. Its silver light shining off of the school made it look very majestic. There was an awkward silence between Alucard and I, and he was staring at me very intently. It made my skin crawl, and I looked at the ground. He bursted out laughing, and I figured it was because he had read my mind. “Thought I asked you not to do that.” I said. But he just ignored me.

When we arrived at the training center, Alucard unlocked the doors and flipped on the light. The room was filled with ceiling to floor mirrors, pads that covered the entire floor, and things like punching bags and exercising equipment. The next thing that happened, I totally was not expecting. I was observing the room when, I was shoved to the ground. I felt a sharp pain go up my spine. Alucard had thrown me to the floor. “Get up.” he demanded. I winced in pain as I attempted to sit up. Alucard pushed me down again with his boot. I’m pretty sure he only had to use a small fraction of his strength, but I hit the pads again, hard. I gasped in pain. “First lesson, always be aware of what’s going on around you. Had you even been remotely paying attention, you would have seen that coming.” I glared at him, panting heavily. “That...really...hurt” I whimpered. “That is why you need to build strength, so you will be able to get back up and fight your opponent before he can make his next move.” He offered his hand, but I refused and got up myself. “What else?” I asked. He led me to one of the punching bags. “Take your stance, feet shoulder width apart, and fists balled up protecting your face. Stomach tight. Shoulders turned.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and turned them. “Very good. Now I want you to punch the bag as hard as you can.” I gave the bag a couple of what I thought were good hits, but I guess not, because Alucard was shaking his head. “That’s no good. I want you to go over there and do push-ups until you can’t anymore. Then, I want you to go over to that bar, and do as many pull-ups as you can.” I looked at him, astonished. He was going to kill me! He watched fixedly as I did about 40 push-ups and 20 more pull-ups. My arms felt like jello at the end of my mini workout.

“Excellent. You will be doing those at the beginning of every lesson, and will train every day until I think you are ready. You did well today, Rhine.” He put his hand on my sweaty shoulder. “Why don’t you treat yourself to a walk with me?” He grinned, again baring his sparkling white fangs. “Wow. A date with Alucard. How fun.” I said sarcastically. “Just let me clean up for a second.” I told him, and moved from under his hand. He nodded and walked off somewhere. I went into the bathroom and used one of the cold towels to clean off the sweat that was glistening on my body. I looked a mess. I put my hair back into its original ponytail, as it had gotten very messed up in the process of working out. Then, I froze because I realized what I was doing. I was doing exactly what Carmen did when she was around a cute guy...trying to make myself look nicer. I slapped my hand to my forehead and said, “Get it together, Rhine.” And I really should. I couldn’t fall for the headmaster! He doesn’t even like me, I’m pretty sure. But why would he ask me to walk with him? I heard a knock on the door-Alucard. That must mean that I needed to hurry up. I groaned as I exited the bathroom. As Alucard locked up the gym, I took the chance to look at him, I mean, really look at him. His hair was choppy, and skimmed his shoulder blades. He was really pale, but not sickly looking. His eyes reminded me of molten caramel.I had never seen anyone so beautiful in my life. “Are you done examining me like I’m some sort of experiment?” He asked in a monotonous voice. He had pulled my attention away from my inner thoughts and was staring down at me steadily. “Oh, sorry.” I sounded like I had just got caught stealing cookies from the jar. He motioned for us to start walking. “Your mother,” He started. At the mention of my mom, my head snapped up. I didn’t know shit about my mom, except that she had abandoned me when I was only 2. “Your mother, she didn’t mean for you to grow up thinking that she didn’t want you. Angeline wanted very much to be able to keep you with her, but it wasn’t safe enough. She loved you very much, Rhine. She uh, she wanted to do anything to protect you, and that is why she had to do what she did. I just wanted you to know that.” He looked straight ahead as we walked. “How long did you know her?” He thought for a moment, possibly deciding what he did and didn’t want to say to me. “I knew Angeline before you were born. Actually, she came to me while she was pregnant with you to ask for help.” I was assuming he was talking about protection from the “They” everyone kept warning me about. He also kept talking about her in the past tense so I assumed she was dead, now. I wanted to change the subject. “Hey, Alucard, do you ever sleep? It’s like you stay glued to that chair.” I saw the tiniest hint of a smile. “I do occasionally enjoy a nap, but no, adult vampires do not need sleep. You, however,” He patted me on my head. “Do. Sleep well, Rhine. I will see you tomorrow.” and strode away. I stood there, in front of my dorm, staring off into the distance like a complete idiot. I stepped into our huge dorm room. I checked my phone, it was about 4:30 A.M, so classes had been out for about an hour and a half. Carmen didn’t seem to be here, I wanted to find her and apologize for my bitchy behavior earlier. I really did feel bad. Then I remembered that I wouldn’t have a chance to see her until later tonight-she’s probably on her date with Ed. I didn’t really feel like going to dinner tonight, so I decided to take a shower and then curl up and watch T.V in the lounge.


	4. Chapter 4

There were no girls in here, so I had the whole T.V to myself. I was watching reruns of America’s Next Top Model, when I heard someone come in. I sighed in relief when I saw it was Genevieve. She looked like some sort of winter princess, with her snow white hair, which was flowing freely in loose waves around her shoulders, instead of her usual french braid. “What’s up, girl?” She plopped down next to me with a soda in her hand. “Ah, nothing.” I said. I was in an unusually good mood. “Well, someone’s smiley tonight.” Genevieve turned towards me on the couch. “I’m just so glad that Carmen and Ed are hitting it off so well.” She beamed, “Oh, yeah! Carmen told me she had a date with him tonight. I think those two are gonna be perfect for each other!” I nodded in agreement. Then I had a question. “Hey, Genevieve, what do vamps like to do for fun?” She got a very sneaky look on her face. “Oh, Rhine. You haven’t even begun to experience the crazy-fun things we Hellsing students like to do. I guess you’ll find out tomorrow, during Halloween.” Oh my gosh, I’d totally forgotten! Tomorrow was Halloween, that was like, my favorite holiday ever! All the costumes and candy. But then I remembered my lessons with Alucard tomorrow. “Uh, what time is this “fun” you guys are going to have” I air quoted “fun”. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to meet with the headmaster without missing it.” I sighed and relaxed a little. “Hey, aren’t you going to dinner?” I asked her. She looked at the pink clock hanging on the wall and said, “Oh, shoot! Thanks for reminding me! They’re having roast beef tonight and I do not want to miss out on that.” She tapped her stomach and said a quick “Goodbye!” as she hurried out of the lounge.  
Well, it was just me all alone again, which was fine, because I needed some time to think. What Alucard said about my biological mom was something I’d never heard before. What did she (and everyone else here) want to protect me from? What did I have that was so special? And still, nobody wanted to tell me who “They” were, and what they did. I needed answers, and I was going to get them. But I didn’t know who to get them from. Carmen? Maybe, but she was still mad at me from earlier, so that was a no-go for now. Charlotte, Vicky, and Genevieve got all nervous and weird when I asked them questions like that, so I couldn’t go to them. I thought for a moment, then, I knew exactly who to ask. Clara, the receptionist in front of Alucard’s office. I had a feeling she would be willing to tell me everything I wanted to know. Feeling determined, I ran up to my room, slipped on some shoes, and went to find her.  
Clara’s head snapped up when I came up to her desk. Clara looked older, but at the same time, ageless. She had strawberry blond hair that was pulled into a ponytail, and sun kissed skin. Her laugh lines were what made her look older, but it showed that she had a youthful side to her. Being in her presence was oddly calming. She seemed frazzled when she said “Oh, Rhine. What can I do for you?” she smiled, and looked at me with blue eyes. “Please, Clara, you know exactly what I came here for.” My voice took on a serious tone. Her smile faltered, and she sighed. “Come with me.” She took me by my wrist and led me to the school library. Everyone was at dinner, so it was empty. She peeked out into the hallway to make sure nobody was watching, before shutting and locking the room. “Okay.” she started. “What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything, but you must not speak a word about it to anybody.” Her voice was firm. I nodded and sat down. “First, as Alucard probably already told you, you are a hybrid. Half human, half vampire. You are the only hybrid in the world. All others have been effaced.” “What happened to them?” I asked. “I will explain in just a moment. Now, since you are a hybrid, that makes the blood that courses through your veins very valuable and powerful.” “But, it’s just blood. How much power could it possibly have?” I examined the veins in my wrist. “Your blood is special. It is capable of giving someone unlimited power. If it falls into the wrong hands, there will be chaos among both humans and vampires.” She went to one of the many bookshelves, and scanned the spines until she found the book that she wanted. She sat down and flipped to a page that had drawings of evil, shadowy looking things. “Rhine, these are the people that are after you, rogue vampires. Rogue vampires do not have any shred of humanity left in them. All they know is search and destroy. But right now, their main mission is to find you and drain you of your blood. That has been their objective since Angeline was pregnant with you. That is why Alucard is protecting you.” She gave me the book, and I flipped through the pages. “What am I supposed to do?” She stared at me for a moment. “Rhine, you are taking the combat lessons with Alucard, correct?” “Yeah” “When the day comes, you will use those skills you learned, and fight.” She slowly got up, and motioned for me to get up, too. “What day?” I asked, becoming panicked. “I’m sorry, Rhine. That is all I can tell you for now.” She shook her head, and practically pushed me out of the library. She shut the door, and left me alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Scared and shaking, I leaned against the wall, and slid down onto the floor, covering my face in my hands. This is horrible. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I am a target of a group of evil vamps, and have been for over 16 years, now! I had to get out of here, and fast. I sped to my dorm. I grabbed my backpack, shoved a bunch of clothes and money into it, wrote an apology note to Carmen, telling her I was sorry for leaving, and went to the entrance of the campus. I quietly opened the gate, just big enough for me to slip through, and was in the parking lot. I decided to head to a local gas station to get food for wherever I was going. As I was walking, I felt a hot-white pain in the side of my head. I heard people hissing “This is her, she is the one we’ve been waiting on! Hurry! Get her in the trunk!” Then, everything went black.   
I was floating in pitch darkness, and my head felt like it was full of feathers. For some reason, I didn’t feel tired, or worrisome or anything like that. I felt great! I laughed and flew around, not a care in the world, then I heard a voice I recognized as Alucard’s. “Hey! It’s you again! What do you want?” I laughed, nothing could bother me right now. “Rhine! Rhine! Wake up, you idiot! Look at the mess you've gotten yourself into!” I heard him sigh and wondered what he was talking about. I felt fine. Then I realized I could hear, but not see him. “Hey, where are you?” I sing-songed. I heard him mutter to himself, “Why did I take this job...Wake up, damn it!” My body jerked and then ached, and I gasped. I opened my eyes to see Alucard’s face hovering above mine, looking extremely annoyed. “What-” I whimpered. “Shut up.” He said as he put his hand to my head. “Don’t speak, you’ve damaged yourself enough tonight.” “Yeah, Rhine. Do you have any idea what danger you just put yourself in?” I turned my head and saw Carmen, tears streaming down her face. What had happened? Did I blackout? All I remember was that I was walking. Then I recalled it. The whispers, the blow to the side of my head to knock me out. Had they found me? The rogue vampires Clara told me about? How stupid could I be! I shouldn’t have left school grounds. Whatever had happened, Alucard must have saved me. I didn’t want to think about it anymore, so I focused my attention on where I was. I was in the backseat of a car, where Alucard had my head resting in his lap. He sure was comfortable, and I was too tired to complain about it, so I didn’t say anything. Carmen was driving, obviously distressed by my stupid behavior tonight. I immediately felt sorry and dumb for causing them both trouble.  
We pulled into the school, and everyone got out. Alucard lifted me into his arms and told Carmen “I will take her into my care, she doesn’t need to be disturbed at the moment. But... thank you for your help.” Carmen nodded, and she came and gave me a small hug “Don’t scare me like that again, okay?” Her voice was thick with worry. I told her to get some rest, and she hesitantly went back to her dorm. While on our way to his room, Alucard looked down at me. I must look terrible right now. “What happened back there?” I asked. He looked away. “The rogue vampires found you.” His voice started to take on an angry tone. “What were you thinking, leaving the school campus without someone to protect you?” He shook his head, frustrated. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to get away from all this.” I made a vague gesture at the school. His face softened, and he changed the subject. “You’re quite light.” He said, lifting me up and down, like a weight. “Stop that.” I said, and he chuckled. Actually chuckled. “You didn’t have dinner, so I’m assuming you’re hungry?” As soon as he said that, my stomach growled. “Yeah, I guess I could use a sandwich or something.” We made a detour to the kitchen in the dining hall, and Alucard sat me gently on the counter while he began making a turkey and cheese sandwich. It was quiet for a few minutes, while he searched the cabinets and fridges for the ingredients. “Hey, do you know about that special Halloween thing everyone is doing tomorrow?” “Of course.” He said without looking up. “Oh.” “I advise you not to go, it will expose you to the rogue vampires, and you will be even more vulnerable than before.” He gave me my sandwich, with red juice, and I chewed silently as I thought about it. “You’re probably right. Hey, this is really good.” I said referring to the juice. “What is it?” “Blood.” He said, deadpan, and I almost choked. “What?! Whose? Why would you give me this!?” Alucard’s lips twitched, and I realized he was trying not to laugh. “It’s only juice, I was kidding.” I glared at him. When I finished my sandwich, he lifted me back in his arms. “Am I not allowed to walk anymore?” “You are too weak right now...unless you can handle it.” He said a little too slyly. “I can, just put me down.” “If you say so...” And as soon as he did I realized it was a bad idea. My legs gave out and I fell flat on my butt. “Yeah, okay. Bad idea. I need help.” Alucard shook his head and slumped my hand around his shoulder to aid me. He told me I was going to have to sleep in his room, at least for the night, and asked me if I was comfortable with that. I agreed to it, I was getting slightly more comfortable with him. He led me to his his huge, king-sized canopy bed (which I didn’t understand, because he didn’t sleep. Like. At all.) and gave me blankets to cover up with. Maybe I should have felt awkward, but I didn’t, it was actually nice being here. This room was really comfortable, and I was exhausted. I was just starting to slip away, when I felt a weight shift on the bed. I turned around, and there was Alucard, laying there. “Uh, what are you doing?” I felt myself blushing and was grateful that we were in the dark. “I’m laying down.” He mumbled. I blinked, and turned back around. I could feel him staring at me, so I tried to steady my breathing, though it was no use. “I know you’re not asleep.” He spoke in his smoky voice. “I know, you’re keeping me awake. Let me sleep, you ass.” I said into my pillow. “Of course.” I felt his hand stroking my hair. “Really soft...” He mused. I knew he was doing it to mess with me, but it was relaxing, I had to admit, and I was asleep in no time.   
When I awoke, I felt something hard, and warm under me. I lifted my head to notice that I had been laying on Alucard’s chest. I shot up immediately, embarrassed that I had used him as my personal teddy bear throughout the night. “Uh, I uh, was just-” “Rise and shine.” He’d said without opening his eyes. I wanted to die. “Are you feeling well enough to begin your training again?” His voice was back to being serious and cautious. I took a minute to evaluate my body. I didn’t ache as much as last night, so I figured I was good to go. “I feel better.” I replied. “Hey, I’m gonna go back to my room so I can, uh, change.” “I will assist you.” Said Alucard. I gave him a funny look. “Uh, Alucard, I don’t really feel comfortable with you helping me change-” All of a sudden, his facial expression turned weird. “I didn’t mean that! I know you can change yourself. What I meant was that you are in immediate danger, I want to protect you as much as I am able to. However, I will give you privacy if you ask for it.” I turned away from him, hiding my mortification. So, he hadn’t meant what I thought he did. God, I’m such a moron. I asked him to wait outside the door, while I showered and changed. During my shower, I wondered whether he actually, genuinely cared about me, or if he was just doing what he was ‘paid’ to do. I put on my training clothes and met Alucard by the stairs. I have to admit, there was this feeling of reassurance when he was around, like nothing could hurt me.   
Over the next few weeks, training got harder and harder. Alucard pushed me to the brink every day. It was working, though, because I was getting better, and stronger. Alucard had said “You’ll be able to take down those filthy dogs in no time.” He’d told me that I’d mastered hand-to-hand and would be ready to take him on in a practice fight next week. It felt good to peel out of my training gear and relax for a while. I haven’t had a good night’s rest ever since Alucard let me sleep on my own.


	6. Chapter 6

I don’t know if it was just me but time seemed to slip through my fingers like sand. I heard the jingle of keys outside of the door. Carmen slipped into the room and had a huge smile on her face. “Where were you at all this time, Mrs.Blushy?” I teased. “Nowhere, just with Ed…I mean Vicky.” I’ve known Carmen all my life and one thing that I know is that she’s a horrible liar. ”Spill it.” I said. “Nothing happened! We just sat around and talked about...stuff.” She said in rush. I made an obvious show of rolling my eyes at her. “Ready to go to dinner?” I asked, stomach growling uncontrollably. As we walked to the dining hall, I had this unsettling feeling that someone was following us. I turned my head just to make sure, and I could’ve swore I saw someone that resembled Charlotte duck into the other hallway. I thought nothing of it and kept walking. Just as we walked into the dining hall Carmen asked me “Hey, what was with the face back there. You looked like you had saw a ghost.” I didn’t think it was that noticeable. “It was nothing, I just spaced out for a second.” I said.  
Carmen and I found a vacant table and sat down. “I wonder where everybody’s at.” I said looking at the half empty hall. “I know... it’s usually filled by now.” Maybe there was some type of party that we weren’t told about. We decided to go ‘investigate’. We walked to the main corridor and followed a small group of people to the front of the school. Outside of the pine wood doors was a crowd of about a gazillion students all trying to get a better look at something. I heard gasps and “Oh my god’s” as Carmen and I shoved our way to the front of the mob. I was trying to figure out why everyone was looking at me with horrified expressions, until I saw it. Or, rather, her. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was Clara, looking a sickly grey color, her eyes and mouth wide open in a silent scream. It was very grotesque looking, but oddly enough, there wasn’t any blood, only a wooden stake with a note attached to it that said only one name: Rhine. I heard sobs and low, frightened whispers. Suddenly, Alucard was there, beside me. “Christ...” he said under his breath. “Everyone, retreat to your dorms. We will find out who did this and put a stop to it before it happens again.” Alucard tore me away from the scene and into the school, leading me into his office. I felt very nauseous walking by the desk that Clara had once occupied. Locking the door, he sighed. I sat in the chair, shaking. Alucard knelt in front of me, his eyes a deep scarlet color. “Rhine, listen to me, this should only fuel your will to fight.” His words ran circles in my head as I thought of what to say. “I..I don’t want to fight, I want to go home and live a normal life again...I just want to go home” I could barely speak. “I can’t allow that.” He said flatly. I looked up, anger filling my eyes. “How can you be so calm about this?” I started to shout. “Clara just fucking died and you don’t even seem to care!” I stood up. “I knew it was going to happen.” He spoke in that same, emotionless voice. “What? You knew it was going to happen and you didn’t do anything to stop it?” Tears of rage sprang in my eyes. He just stared at me, and that’s what set me off. I started to punch him and said “How could you?! How could you, you fucking asshole!” But he stopped my hand as easily as if I were just a sick child. I hysterically tried to pull away, screaming “I hate you, I hate you, you asshole!” He was too strong, and I couldn’t pull my wrists from him. Then he barked, “Get a grip! Do you know what’ll happen if you try to leave this school? You’ll be killed, the rogues will have your blood, and there’ll be chaos! It’s not just about you, Rhine! Think of everyone else!” I stopped struggling, and stared at him. He was right. I was being selfish. It’s not just me that’s in danger. I felt more tears coming. “Come here, It’ll be alright.” Alucard pulled me into a hug. I squeezed him hard, and was sobbing now. We sat like that for awhile, then I finally got the strength to lift my head from his chest. “I’m sorry for my outburst, I’m just overwhelmed.” I said while wiping my eyes. ”It’s alright, a loss of a friend is a hard matter to grasp, you need time. Rest for now, but tomorrow, we will continue as usual.” he stated calmly, as if he didn’t want to set me off again. I started to stand up, when Alucard grabbed my hand gently and said, “You may stay with me in my room...if you’re comfortable, until you’re ready to be on your own.” I suppressed a tiny smile from spreading across my face. The thought of sleeping with him by my side was calming. “Uh, o-okay. Just...just let me change first.” I headed to the door, and paused. “Alucard, will you come with me?” With what had just happened, I was too shaken up to go anywhere alone right now. He nodded solemnly, and rose to accompany me to my room.   
I asked him to wait by the steps, I’d only be a couple minutes, and went inside. Carmen was there, curled up in her bed, I can tell she’d been crying, and she seemed to be in a trance. When I came in, I sat down and gently shook her. “Carmen? Are you okay?” She blinked, and she became fully aware that I was there. “Rhine? Rhine! Oh, my god, where were you? Are you okay?!” Her hands fluttered frantically around me. I pushed them away. “Yes, I’m fine. I’ve been with Alucard. I don’t really want to talk about it right now, okay?” She stared at me, then said she understood. “I’m gonna go back with him now, but I promise I’ll see you tomorrow. Will you be alright?” She started to say something, but then changed her mind and just nodded. I slipped into some comfy pajamas, hugged Carmen goodnight, and left. When I was outside our door, I took a moment to take some deep breaths. I trudged down the stairs, where Alucard was waiting. “Carmen is very distraught.” Was all I could say. “That is expected of most of the students who saw what happened...I don’t feel comfortable with you standing out here, let’s go.” He said while striding off. Back in his room, I felt safe. I crawled into his super comfortable bed, and buried myself in the covers. The room fell silent, then I said “Alucard, what did they do to her?” He shifted uncomfortably and didn’t say anything for a long time, maybe he was thinking, maybe he didn’t want to tell me at all. I peered at him in the darkness “Clara’s body was drained.” I could tell he didn’t want to say anything else, so I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but of course, I couldn’t. I heaved a sigh of frustration and Alucard asked if I was having trouble sleeping. “Well, yeah. A lot has been going on.” He sighed. “Come here.” He patted the spot next to him. Having Alucard comfort me sounded real good right about now, so I curled up next to him and he wrapped his arm around me protectively. My breathing slowed, and I was asleep in an instant. Being here with Alucard must have soothed my body and brain somehow, because I had not one single nightmare. Instead, I dreamt about puppies. Yup, cute little golden retrievers happily wagging their tails. It might sound silly to envy a dog, but I did, because they essentially had nothing to worry about. They didn’t have evil vamps after them, who wanted their blood. I laughed and played happily with them, rolling in the grass and playing fetch. I just wished I didn’t have to wake up.


End file.
